St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex

The Convent of All Souls at St Leonards-on-Sea was fresh start for the fledgling society after their time in Derby was cut short by a disagreement with the local priest, Dr Seed, which arose after Bishop Wiseman did not keep up mortgage payments for the property.

The SHCJ arrived at St Leonards in two parties, with the final group arriving on 21st December 1848
All Souls Convent was bequeathed to the Revd Mr Jones by a wealthy heiress and he was keen to find a group of women religious who could use the buildings. The elderly priest gave the SHCJ sisters a warm welcome, but in time became distant. Eventually, he refused the nuns the right to grow produce to feed themselves.
After Jones’ death in 1851, the contesting of his will by a local man, Dr Duke, lead to a long and bitter debate over use of the site. It involved not only Duke and the SHCJ, but also the property’s trustees, the local priest and senior clergy including the Propaganda in Rome. A Papal rescript vindicating the SHCJ finally resolved the matter in November 1864.
Despite this and further pressures on the Society, the Convent of St Leonards-on-Sea was the site of an SHCJ boarding school and junior school and a teacher training college from 1856 to 1864. The convent served as the Motherhouse for the SHCJ before this was relocated to Mayfield and later Rome. Situated on the coast, the sea air was a significant advantage to offer parents and Cornelia would also invite sisters to restore their health. St Leonards provided a base from which Cornelia could, with her sisters, refine SHCJ education methods and propagate this important ministry.
The school and convent of All Souls, St Leonards-on-Sea functioned as an SHCJ institution until in 1976, when the school was merged with Mayfield and the site was sold. As the second 'house' of the society from which all its expansion and further endeavours throughout the world sprang, it will always have an important part in SHCJ history.